Changeable sign and traffic signal



March 13, 1928. 1,662,348

G. w. STRICKER CHANGEABLE SIGN AND TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed Sept. 12, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l m'cnl cr I ihf'frz'ckez I l m much 13, 1928.

mszgs w G. w. STRiCKER CHANGEABLE SIGN AND TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed Sept. 12. 1925, 2 Sheets-Sheet .2

GREEN yfiuau R59 GREIY YELLOW RED Patented Mai-.13, 1928. I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. S'IBICKER, 01' DALLAS. TEXAS.

CHANGEABLE SIGN AND TRAFFIC SIGNAL. Application filed September 12, 1925.. Serial No. 55,964.

This invention relates to improvements-in a combined structure for a. changeable sign and trafiic signal adapted to control trafiic at street intersections in addition to illumi- 1 5 nating advertising matter forming part of the structure of the casing containing the signal light simultaneously with the display of the signals.

An object of the'invention resides in providing a housing of substantially rectangular cross section adapted to be mounted at street intersections and provided with a plurality of lenses, in the rear of which are light compartments connected in circuit for 16 control automatically to display" colored light signals for tra'lflc control, while a subs stant-ial portion of the housing isf divided into independent compartments having openings through each side of the casing in 20 which are removably positioned advertising signs adapted to be illuminated simultaneously with the display of the signals and in corresponding colors thereto in order to dis play the advertising matter on the sign for cooperation with the signal in displaying the same color as the signal.

The invention comprehends other objects and improvements in details of construction and arrangement of the parts which are more particularly pointed out in the following detailed description and in the claims directedto a preferred form of the invention, it being understood however, that various changes in the size, shape, and the arrangement of the parts may be made with out departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings forming part of this application.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the im proved casing structure incorporating the traffic signal and advertising sign.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view therethrough, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is another horizontal sectional view through the casing taken on line 33 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram illustrating the manner of connecting the various lamps of 0 the several compartments for automatic con trol in an electric circuit with a suitable source of power.

1 indicates a housing or casing rectangular in cross section which is provided w th curved upper edges 2 on a pair of opposite sides for supporting the top 3 1n curved relation as illustrated in Fig. 1 on the upper end of the casing having the projecting edges as illustrated at 4 from all sides of the housing. A partition 5 is mounted in the upper end portion of the casing and divides the interior thereof into an upper compart ment 6 in which are mounted a plurality of combined partition members or reflectors fl and 8 respectively, the portion ofthe caslng below the horizontal partition 5 being formed into a series of compartments as more fully hereinafter described.

The partition and reflecting members 7 are positioned across the corners of the easing while the partition members 8 are located in the side portions at the central portions of said casing for providing separate compartments for a purpose which will presently appear,

The side walls of the casing on all of the sides thereof above the horizontal wall 5 "at present in common use in numerous cities for illumination and control of traflic at street intersections. These lenses are arrange with preferably the yellow lenses in the opening forwardly of the compartmentsformed by the partition members 8 in the central portions of the side walls while the red and green lenses willbe arranged in the openings at the sides of each side wall of the casing in similar relation in each side wall so that the corner compartment forming a reflecting member 7 will illuminate a green lens in one side wall and a red lens in. the opposite side wall when a light mounted in said compartments is illuminated.

This arrangement of lenses is illustrated and indicated by suitable legends in Fig. 2 of the drawings, as well is the diagrammatic view of Fig. 4.

A pluralityof lamp sockets 12 are mounted in the partition walls and reflecting memhere 7 and 8 as shown clearly in Fig. 2, are adapted to be connected in circuit as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing to be interposed in circuit with a source of energy in a predetermined manner so that varied colored lights such as red, yellow and green may be alternately displayed from each side of the casing in a predetermined manner for controlling traflic as hereinafter described.

The portion of the casing below the horizontal partition wall 5 is provided with a cruciform member 13 having the wall portions thereof extending diagonally from corner to corner of the housing and dividing the same into a plurality of compartments 14. A plurality of lamp sockets 15 are mounted in adjacent relation on the cruciform member as illustrated particularly in Fig. 3 for the reception of electric lamps, and are connected in circuit in a predetermined manner as illustrated in Fig. 4, so

that they may be connected with a source of energy in circuit in a predetermined manner for illuminating certain of the lamps for a purpose which will'be described.

Hoods 16 are adapted to be removably mounted on the electric lamps 17 mounted in the sockets 15 and are preferably of a semi-transparent character and suitably colored so that red, yellow and green hoods will be provided on certain of the lamps while others will not be provided with hoods, so that when it is not desired to display colored lights within the compartment 14 clear white lights may be displayed by connecting the lamps without the hoods in circuit with a suitable source of energy.

The side walls of the housing 1 below the horizontal partition wall 5 and communicating with the compartment 14 are formed with substantially large rectangular openings 18. These openings 18 are adapted to receive rectangular sign members 19 for removable mounting in the openings and in the casing, which sign members are adapted to have the faces thereof formed with suitable cut-out portions in the form of letters or designs to display a suitable form of advertisement.

These si n members are also adapted to receive ant removably mount transparent plate members 20 or other suitable light transfusin means adapted to transfuse the light within the chambers 14 of the housing so as to properly display and illuminate the cut-out portions of the signs 19 for displaying the advertisements formed therein.

Referring particularly to Fig. 4, suitable wires from the opposite terminals from a source of energy are indicated at 21 and 22 respectively. An electric motor is indicated at 23, having the opposite terminals thereof connected to the wires 21 and 22 as illustrated. This motor drives a suitable circuit control member indicated generally at 24 which may be of any desired character well known in the art and for the purpose. This circuit control member has a connection at 25 with the wire 21 and a plurality of contacts 26 arranged in spaced relation and offset relative to one another on the member 24 for independently and successively closing circuits connected with the stationary contacts 27, 28 and 29 adapted for cooperation therewith. in order to independently and alternately energize .the circuits with these three contacts.

The contact 27 is provided with circuit connection 30 extending to and electrically connected to the lamps 31 which are mounted in opposite corner compartments as illus' trated in Fig. 2, for illuminating the green lenses on two opposite sides of the casing. and simultaneously the red lenses on the other two opposite sides of the casing. This is indicated both in Fig. 4 and Fig. so that in the control of trallic, the green lights will give a clear signal on one street, and a danger or stop signal on the intersecting street, at right angles thereto.

Of the circuit through the wire 30 connected with contact 27, a circuit through wire 32 is simultaneously energized. which is connected o the lamp 33 mounted in each of the compartments 14 in the bottom portion of the casing for illuminating the Jerforated signs mounted on the casing. lhach of these lamps 33 as illustrated in Fig. 4. is covered with a hood 17 so that the signs on two op osite sides of the casing will be illuminated with green lights on the same sides as the green lenses illuminated by the lights 31, while the intermediate side of the casing will have the signs illuminated with red light corresponding with the sides of the casing in which the red lenses are illuminated by the lamps 31.

In this way both the lenses and the signs on the same side of the casing will he il laminated with the same color as the light. and this is of such a character that when the reen light on opposite sides of the easing is illuminated for signaling traflic to go,

on one street. the sign carried by the casing will be illuminated with green light, while the red lenses signaling traflie on the intersecting street to stop will have the signs facing said intersecting street illuminated with red light.

When the traflic signals are reversed, so as to stop the trailic on the street on which it was previously travelling, and to permit the trailic on the intersecting street to cross the first mentioned street. the red and green lights will be changed. This change is obtained by the energization of the circuit connected with contact 29 through wire 34.

which extends to and is connected to the lamps 35 in the corner compartments of the casin as illustrated in Fig. 2, for illuminatt e red and green lenses in adjacent si es of said casing.

Simultaneously, the circuit through wire hill 36 will be energized, which wire is connected to the lamps 37 in each of the compartments 14. Each of these lamps are covered with color hoods 17 so that the signs which as described above, were illuminated with green light, will now be illuminated with red light, and the signs which were formerly illuminated with red light will now be illuminated with green light.

The characters G and B for green and red, respectively as shown Fig. 4, illustrate the color of light for illuminating the casing, which the color hoodslwill provide on each of the lamps shown in the diagrammatic illustration.

.As is usual in'the majority of trafiic signals systems, it is customary to display a yellow caution light between the red and green lightsfor the proper control of the traiiic, when permitting the direction of movement of the trafiic to change from one street to the intersecting street. The circuit for the caution light which is yellow and indicated in a diagrammatic view by the symbol'Y, is connected with the contact 28 and "extends through the wire connection 38 to the lamps 39 in the compartments formed by the'partitions and'reflector members 8 for illuminating the'yellow lenses in each side of the casing. i v

Simultaneously with the illumination of these yellow lenses, the circuit through wire 40 connected with the wire 38 is energized, which extends to one terminal of each of the lamps 41 in the compartments 14 in the lower portion of the casing, so that all of the signs willbe illuminated with yellow light x corresponding tothe yellow lenses of the signal.

When the traflic signals are not in operation additional lamps 42 which are without hoodsso that they will illuminate the compartments 14 with white light, or clear li ht, as distinguished from the colored lights, have one. terminal of each lamp connected with the wire 43 which is adapted to be connected with the wire 21, when the main: ually operated switch 44 is in closed posi-Q. tion. This will illuminate all of the signs with white light.

The circuits for all of the lamps in thecompartments 14 are completed to the wire '22 by the common return circuit wires indicated by the numeral 45, and the return circuit for all of the lamps illuminating the signal lenses is made through the wire connection 46 also connected to the wire 22.

It will thus be clearly understood that applicant provides a combined traflic signal and advertising device in which the perforated plates bearing the indicia forming suitable advertisements are illuminated with the same color as the illuminated traflic signal lenses displayed for the control of traflici This invention further provides in the display of a traflic signal of desired color to make the signal-more attractive and impressive on the'driver of an automobile, in addition to presenting the advertising matter to his view, so that the significance of the trafiic signal will be always before his eyes.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new is I 1. In combination, a housing of rectangular form in horizontal section, a partit1on dividing said housing into u per and lower compartments, a plurality of aligned openings formed in each side wall of the housing and communicating with the upper compartment, means dividing the upper compart ment into a plurality of independent compartments having each of said openings communicating with one of said independent,

compartments, a lens mounted in each opening, each lens in each side wall differing in color from each other lens in the same side wall, lenses having the same position in each side wall being of the same color, means dividing the lower compartment into a plurality of independent compartments, one cooperating with each side wall, openings formed in said side walls, plates perforated to represent indicia mounted in the last named openings, a plurality of illuminating means in the independent compartments formed in the lower housing compartment having colors-corresponding to said lenses, and means for illuminating correspondingly colored lenses and illuminating means s1- multaneously. o

2. In combination, a housing, a plurality of lenses mounted in the housing, each lens being of a difi'erent color from the others, a plate member formed with indicia indicating perforations ;mounted on said housing over an opening formed therein, a plurality of colored illuminating means for said plate member corresponding in color to each of the colored lenses, and means independently operable for illuminating lenses of varying colors simultaneously with the corresponding colors for illuminating said perforated plate member, different colors being ada ted for successive display in illuminating t e lens and plate member in a predetermined manner.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GEORGE W. STRICKER.

comprising I 

